Improvement in reading-gages



$1.8. HILDRETH.

Reading-gages.

NO. 140,135, Patentedlune 24,1873.

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Ber continued Witueam:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROYALL S. HILDRETH, OF LAURENS, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN READING-GAGES.

, Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 140,135, dated June24, 1873 application filed September 14, 1872.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ROYALL S. HILDRETH, ofLaurens, in the county of Otsego and State of New York, have invented anew and Improved Reading-Gage, of which the following is aspecification:

My invention consists in a thin plate of any kind, with a long narrowslot through it through which to see the line to be read, the said platebeing placed on the page to cover or hide the lines above and below, andthus assist the eyes in retaining the sight of the letters in cars orcarriages, the shaking and and jarring of which prevents holding thepaper with that steadiness necessary for keepin g the lines distinctlyin view. The said gage is preferably made in two parts, separated at theslot, and capable of adjustment toward or from each other for wideningor narrowing the slot according to the height of the letters; but it mayconsist of a single slotted plate, the slot being as wide as the highestletters with which it may be necessary to use it. Very large letters maybe read without the gages, which are more especially intended for bookand newspaper type.

Figure l is a plan view of my improved gage, when made in two parts, forvarying the width of the slot and Fig. 2 is a section of the same. Fig.3 is a section on the line J il- Similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts.

In this case the said gage is made in two parts, A B, and the part A hasa grooved guide, 0, projecting from one side at each end perpendicularto the major axis, to receive the ends of the piece B, made to fit insaid guides suificiently tight to be held by the friction of its endswith guides to be held at any point to which it is adjusted. In othercases I will use any suitable thin plate with a slot cut through it.

This instrument gages the line both above and below, and hides the otherlines, thereby greatly assisting the eyes in following the lines, whichit is exceedingly difficult to do in cars or carriages without suchgages.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 7 As an article of manufacture, the adjustablereading-gage, consisting of platesA B, having grooved guides G Oconstructed and adapted to be used substantially as and for the purposedescribed.

The above specification of my invention signed by me this 24th day ofAugust, 1871.

ROYALL S. HILDRETH.

Witnesses:

GEO. W. MABEE, T. B. MOSHER.

